Top Productivity Hacks for Procrastinators

Are you tired of procrastinating and having to do a month worth of work in just a week or sometimes even less than that? And more than that aiming to not do it again but end up in the same scenario every time! Finding productivity in the ongoing pandemic times can be hard especially if you are working from home and delaying one task to another! So, we bring you the top Productivity Hacks for those working from home or the master procrastinators and to help you maximize your productivity and get more work done within time!

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Procrastination is a Vice & Not a Virtue!

The first thing to do is identifying procrastination as a problem. When people say that procrastination boost creativity, it sounds great and might be true but it’s of no use if you don’t plan ahead or keep a schedule! All of us have deadlines to meet, whether you are a student attending online classes or working from home, and keeping a schedule for yourself and seeing procrastination as a destructive habit if continued is how you can actually implement all the best productivity hacks! So, stop making excuses to justify your act of procrastination and look at it as a habit that you wish to change or more like something that needs to be changed. 

Eliminate Distractions

In this world of social media and technology, it’s easy and almost natural to get distracted. And it’s this distraction which leads to procrastination. As one of the top productivity hacks, removing all the distractions around you can actually boost your focus and help you stick to the deadlines. Don’t go on binge-watching a show on Netflix or surfing through the web and keep pushing your work to a later moment. It’s a vicious circle actually and to escape it you need to eliminate the distraction in the root itself. So, make sure to keep your phone and laptops away if possible from your workspace to ensure better concentration and attention span. 

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Create a To-do List

Think of all the work that you are supposed to finish in a month or a week, write it down and paste it somewhere you can see it constantly. There is a simple logic behind this productivity hack, i.e., procrastinators often keep pushing things because their brains trick them into believing that their deadlines could be achieved in lesser duration. So, to tackle this the easiest thing to do is create a concrete task list for yourself which can remind you of the amount of work that is pending and possibly makes you want to start working on them. 

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Keep Tracking your Progress

Procrastinators often lack motivation, so if you keep a track of your progress it might act as an incentive to keep working. And also, often tracking your own progress might help you realise where you stand in terms of your work and if you are doing well enough or in need of improvement. Throughout the day, if you are working from home, make sure to keep a tab on the tasks you have accomplished and give yourself a rewarding incentive and further keep your eye on the ones that need to be finished by the end of the day. This is the best productivity hack for procrastinators because unless you keep yourself motivated or unless you yourself feel like you have to perform better, nothing is going to change. 

Start with Something that Interests You 

It’s a lack of interest which often leads to procrastination. So, start working with something that actually interests you. If you like planning things, curate the plan of the day first and then gradually move around finishing up the tasks. On the other hand, if you like getting straight away to the tasks, then keep a mental note of your major tasks of the day and then start working on what you are most interested in. This will help you take your first step towards being productive and help you get into the motion of it. And if you ask why this is the best productive hack for procrastinators, then the answer is very simple. It’s because the toughest part for procrastinators is the starting point. Once they start working, finishing it comes easy. And to make the act of beginning something easy, what’s better than starting with something that interests you. 

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Set Daily Targets

It’s usually the absence of daily targets which makes you procrastinate because it creates an illusion that you don’t have any immediate deadline to meet and therefore, your mind behaves accordingly. So, set daily targets and keep reminding yourself what you have to accomplish in a day. If you keep thinking about those targets, you are more likely to start working on them and hence this productivity hack will work its magic!

Engage in Productive Procrastination

Procrastination can also be made into a beneficial trait. How? It’s very simple. You just need to get picky about the activities that you do in order to pass your time. For instance, take something that we all do while procrastinating like binge-watching shows. Now, pick those series which contribute something towards the work that you are supposed to finish. Like if you are a history student, watch historical dramas, if you are a science student, watch science-related shows. And this way without you knowing you will be accumulating useful material while procrastinating. Also, indulge in activities which bring in some positive input. Don’t spend your time sleeping or mindlessly binging on Netflix but do implement this productivity hack to make anything useful yet fun.

Take One Task at a Time

Getting rid of the habit of procrastination is a long road and to continue on this path, you need to keep appreciating yourself for the progress that you have made. So, focus on taking one step at a time, doing your own trial and error runs with these productivity hacks and remember that every step in the right direction counts. And also, remember to treat yourself once you have covered a considerable distance as it will act as an incentive to keep going. 

Create a Workstation for Yourself

You cannot just work anywhere because your surroundings are a key deciding factor in what you do and how you work. So, the best productivity hack for procrastinators is to choose a separate corner in your house where you can work and study and make sure that this place is not very close to your bed or couch. Because we all know how tempting a bed and a good nap could be. If you are not able to concentrate at your home at all, choose some other location like a park or library where you think you can work better. 

Create a Balance Between Work and Rest 

Productivity is not about quantity but efficiency. And to be efficient in what you are doing you need to give yourself the time to relax. Thus, another productivity hack is not to dedicate all your time towards work or studies but creating a balance. Giving yourself some leisure time is equally important because if you overwork yourself once, you are more likely to procrastinate a lot later. And you can expect a procrastinator to be productive throughout the day, so take baby steps and then with time increase the amount of time spent in a productive endeavour. 

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Thus, we hope our go-to productivity hacks help you combat your procrastination and fight off your inner procrastinator. Remember it’s a continuous process and change comes in every day, so make it a routine to follow them. If you need expert guidance at any step of your academic or professional journey, our Leverage Edu mentors are here to help you! Sign up for a free session now and get your queries answered!